China has demanded an apology from Spain after a satirical television show
featured a sign reading "No dogs or Chinese"

Spain's ambassador toChinahas been forced to apologise to Beijing, after a Spanish comedy show featured a bar with a sign reading: "No dogs or Chinese."

The television programme, Aida, was broadcast last week on the Telecinco channel.

In it, Mauricio Colmenero, the racist and histrionic bar owner in the series, is annoyed that a Chinese person has opened a shop nearby. He graffitis a "No dogs" sign in the Bar Reinols, to make it read "No dogs or Chinese".

The Chinese failed to see the funny side.

One Chinese citizen in Spain told El Mundo newspaper that the episode had "humiliated" his country.

"In some ways, humiliating the Chinese community has become a means of survival for local media channels which are in a bad economic state, like Telecinco," said Jianxin, the leader of an association of Chinese hotel owners in Spain.

Manuel Valencia, the Spanish ambassador to Beijing, apologised "profoundly for any offence given to the Chinese community".

He added: "The opinions voiced by this fictional character in no way represent the feeling of Spanish society."

A statement from his office added that in Spain, Chinese citizens are "valued, respected and loved for their contribution to the community".

It is not the first time that Spain has had to apologise for a television series by Telecinco.

In January, China's embassy in Spain demanded an apology from Telecinco after they aired a "vulgar" and "insulting" comedy sketch during their New Year Gala.

During that show, Aída Nízar, the presenter, joked that Chinese restaurants in Spain served dog meat.